I'm not a brilliant businessman nor a star academic nor a rocking developer, but I'm reasonable at a couple of those things and currently have a well-paid contract in the City (i.e. banking) where I have spent most of the last 20 years in a variety of BigCos.
So why would I give it all up to save the planet and have fun, and …

Re: Trying to save the UK, whilst the world carries on regardless

Its somewhat disingenuous to state that you "saved £1,000 a year on you home electricity bill" when it turns out that what you actually mean is that you saved £1,000 a year on the bill of a small ISP with a shed load of computing equipment. Hardly what the average or even keen hobbyist might have, how many have Air Conditioning fitted in their homes to cool their PCs down?

Nothing Duff about this guy

What's in a name

So being the son of Adam Hart-Davis, grandson of Sir Rupert Hart-Davis, nephew of Duff and indirectly related to both Elizabeth II and David Cameron didn't help to open any doors to receptive listeners then?

Re: What's in a name

If Damon is really Adam's son, then Lordy be I may have met him many years ago back when A H-D was working for YTV and complaining about not being able to mention the word "molecule" on air. Got invited to sup, don't you know. Wasn't invited back!

Good for you, Damon. If you live in (or can get to) the Thames Valley I'd love you to come and tell us the story at Thames Valley Startups in Reading. Our Internet of Things Group would be interested too.

I don't understand why so many people have such a 'down' on CO2, the natural plant food without which we would all be starving.

It is not even the primary greenhouse gas - unless it is actually used in greenhouses to increase cropping - water vapour beats it hands down.

The only reason that I can see why they make such a fuss about it is because bankers are trying to make big money from carbon trading. If they do make money on it it will be the 'small' people that will be paying it in raised prices.

Personally speaking I refuse to get overexcited about CO2 levels, appreciate there is a difference between climate and weather and that the science of both is complex.

But it also seems to me burning stuff that comes out of the ground and will run out in a few hundred years time (best case) is probably not the wisest long-term plan. It also makes sense to me to reduce ones energy bill provided it doesn't require a hair-shirt.

Oh, the embarrasment

Does this get over the basic issue of normal TRV usage which requires the boiler to be 'on' 24 hours a day ?

i.e can it switch the boiler on when ANY TRV is calling for heat and leave it off the rest of the time ?

EDIT : RTFM !: Yes it does

"That implies thermostats per heating zone, possibly even per room, controlling local TRVs to regulate temperature and able to bring on the boiler ("call for heat" or "boiler interlock" are common terms) if any zone needs heat "

I did that built my own house. Underfloor heating throughout. Only heated by solar thermal, of logs in a boiler stove.

I put in lots of temperature sensors everywhere so I could do my own heating control. It turns out the difference in temperature between the rooms ends up being minimal, so I may not bother. Manually turning it on when needed seems to work fine, the fire has to be maintained away. Generally only downstairs is heated unless it is really cold.